October052011

It seems to me that the next crucial stage #occupyWallStreet will be whether the protesters can win the hearts and minds of those whose duty it is to serve and protect: the police.

Remember the story of Gandhi's jailer:

"Bapu spoke to us," reminisces Balsara, "His calm demeanour amid so
much uproar over his arrest completely took us by surprise. He was
humble to a fault and respected all who served him."

Balsara recalls that, by the time the train reached Poona, he and
his police guards were thoroughly mesmerized by Gandhi's personality
and his unshakable belief in India's right to its own destiny.

In those few hours it dawned on him that the path of non-violent
resistance that Gandhi had chosen to guide India to freedom was so
completely at odds with what he was doing as a police officer.

'We were so influenced by Gandhi's charisma and his captivating
toothless smile that on reaching Poona we decided to quit our jobs,
even though we knew quite well that we would be imprisoned," said
Balsara.

That is exactly what happened: all six police officers became prisoners of the Raj.